Horses for courses key for Ashes: Siddle

Peter Siddle says Australia must adopt a horses for courses policy during the Ashes, suggesting the tourists missed a trick by failing to adjust to English conditions during the 2015 series defeat.

The 34-year-old looms as one of half a dozen contenders to join Australia's frontline pacemen in the bid to retain the urn on English soil.

Siddle's experience in England, having played in three Ashes tours and starred in county cricket, is unmatched among his fellow fast bowlers.

But national selectors have shown a reluctance to depart from their frontline pacemen despite Australia having not won a Test series in England since 2001.

Siddle was overlooked during Australia's 3-2 series defeat in 2015 until the dead-rubber fifth Test, where he led all comers with six wickets.

The veteran hopes his accuracy and ability to produce swing in English conditions will come into calculations ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston starting August 1.

"It probably showed the last time we were over there, we probably missed a trick by not playing people in the right conditions," Siddle told AAP.

"You can travel two hours to a different ground, a different county, and get totally different conditions.

"I'm not saying that I'll be suited to all wickets but I think it's just about having a good core group in the squad there that you can manipulate around those different wickets.

"It does play a massive part because the wickets and the conditions can change quite dramatically."

Siddle has had little recent opportunity to press for Test selection, having been consigned to carrying the drinks this summer after a two-Test stint in the UAE.

The Victorian hopes to strengthen his case during the second half of the Sheffield Shield season in which the English Dukes ball will be used.

He will then link with county side Essex after starring last season with 37 wickets at 16.41 from seven games, including three five-wicket hauls.

"The English conditions definitely suit me more now at the back end of my career than Australian conditions," Siddle said.

"The way I performed there last year in a strong Division One shows what I can do in those conditions."

West Australian quick Jhye Richardson is certain to be in Ashes contention after leapfrogging Siddle to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood during the Tests against Sri Lanka.

Recently departed Australian bowling coach David Saker last month named Siddle, James Pattinson, Chris Tremain and Daniel Worrall as other options.

Siddle was speaking at the announcement of a $30 million grassroots cricket fund, a landmark initiative that was secured during acrimonious pay negotiations between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association.